A conversation with Newt Gingrich: GOP leader talks about Obama, the midterm elections and whether he'll run for president in 2012

A Conversation with Newt Gingrich: GOP leader talks about Obama, the elections and whether he'll run for president

October 30, 2010|Antonio Fins, SUN SENTINEL EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

On the similarities/differences between the midterm elections in 2010 and 1994:

The biggest difference clearly is the size of the unemployment problem. We have not had this depth of unemployment last this long since the 1930s. I think people are tired of excuses and tired of looking at 9.6 percent unemployment and 18 percent underemployment and being told somehow somebody is to blame but nothing's happening. And second, the alienation of the American people from the radicalism of Obama, Pelosi and Reid on things like the Obama health care proposal and the stimulus and cap and trade has led to a reaction that has intensified the concern over the economy. So the two are working to sort of mutually reenforce each other. People are upset about the performance failure on jobs and they are upset about the values difference between the Obama team and the rest of the country.

On the similarities/differences between the 1994 Contract with America and today's Republican Pledge to America:

Look, there are some similarities that I think are very positive. The Pledge is a good idea…But I think this is a very different year. In 1994, people were willing to see political leaders stand up in front of the Capitol and offer a series of very specific things. This year, people are mad at the Capitol. And I think the Republicans were probably right not to have a Capitol steps event this year because it would have sent the wrong signal. People don't want to be told by Washington. People, actually, as they did with the Contract with America and the tea partiers, people want to be telling the politicians what to do, not having the politicians tell them what to do. So, the Pledge set the general direction — lower spending, lower taxes, more job creation, congressional reform, regulatory reform. But it doesn't have the kind of explicit focus we did in 1994. And I think that's probably right for this kind of year.

On the difference between tea party candidates and traditional values voters:

First of all, virtually all the tea party candidates are values voters. If you look at what they stand for, virtually every single one of them has a deep interest in key issues that you describe as values. But when you have 9.6 percent unemployment and you have trillion-dollar deficits and you have the arrogance of the Obama team, those things so overhadow more traditional issues that it's a little bit hard not to focus on them. To some extent, objective reality is forcing people to put down the key issues of the economy and of larger ideology, and those are just dominating the campaigns.

On the web site, theamericano.com, he started for Hispanic voters:

We believe that it is very helpful to have a center-right, pro business, pro entreprenuer, pro jobs, pro national security site for Hispanic voters. This gives them a place, think of it as the equivalent of a National Review back in the 1950s. We want a place where people who want to have a conversation to talk about these kind of values from a center-right basis can have a place to go to. And we've been very pleased, so far … [inaudible] … We also have the forum The Americano is going to be doing in December in Washington on major issues where former President [ Alvaro] Uribe of Colombia, and former Prime Minister [Jose Maria] Aznar of Spain are both going to be there. We're going to be talking about the kind of issues that matter to the Hispanic community in America.

On the difference between center-right and conservative positions:

I think center-right is conservatism plus independents who are not liberals. In other words, there a lot of Americans who broadly agree with conservative values. If you start with the last Gallup Poll, for example, where they said that 58 percent of the electorate was conservative and another 18 percent was moderate. Of those moderates, probably 10 percent would actually identify more with conservatives than liberals. So you'd like to include them in thinking about who you reach out to because they could be the conservatives by next year as they engage in the issues and the ideas.

On Harry Reid blasting the GOP's hardline position on illegal immigration:

I would start by saying if you are a Hispanic who is interested in a job and a paycheck rather than in unemployment and food stamps, there's very little reason to look at Harry Reid. Harry Reid has presided over the highest level of unemployment in the country. He's presided over the worst housing mortage problem in the country. He's the Senate majority leader. What has he offered except more pain and more unemployment? I would like to appeal to every Hispanic American, first of all, on the basic interests of their family, their values and their concerns. And I think Sen. Reid doesn't have much to offer them on those circumstances.